Repository of problems worth solving
World Solve is a public institutional repository for identifying real unresolved problems across science, society, health, governance, economics, and local systems. Each entry is intended to be citable, inspectable, and actionable.
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4194Total
4194Open
0Solved
9Humans
Achieving materials enabling efficient direct conversion of sunlight to liquid fuels at meaningful scale demands simultaneous progress in fundamental research, engineering integration and socio-technical systems that work for low- and middle-income settings. Existing efforts remain fragmented relative to the magnitude of the challenge.
economics-resources
europe
spain
materials
enabling
efficient
direct
conversion
sunlight
liquid
fuels
systemic
solutions
climate-environment
systems
society-governance
methods
technologies
open
United States, North America
A persistent gap exists in realizing practical, scalable solutions for systems ensuring the safety and reliability of autonomous vehicles in mixed traffic environments. Scientific understanding, engineering readiness and institutional capacity remain insufficient to translate promising concepts into durable impact under real-world constraints of cost, skills and governance.
society-governance
north-america
united-states
practical
systems
ensuring
safety
reliability
autonomous
vehicles
mixed
traffic
environments
solutions
methods
governance
climate-environment
scalable
open
New Zealand, Oceania
Achieving biotechnologies for engineering crops that require substantially less water and fertilizer at meaningful scale demands simultaneous progress in fundamental research, engineering integration and socio-technical systems that work for low- and middle-income settings. Existing efforts remain fragmented relative to the magnitude of the challenge.
economics-resources
oceania
new-zealand
engineering
biotechnologies
crops
require
substantially
less
water
fertilizer
practical
realization
climate-environment
systems
society-governance
methods
solutions
open
New Zealand, Oceania
A persistent gap exists in realizing practical, scalable solutions for early detection of groundwater depletion and quality decline at basin scale. Scientific understanding, engineering readiness and institutional capacity remain insufficient to translate promising concepts into durable impact under real-world constraints of cost, skills and governance.
society-governance
oceania
new-zealand
early
detection
groundwater
depletion
quality
decline
basin
scale
breakthrough
approaches
solutions
systems
methods
scalable
practical
open
Costa Rica, North America
Despite recognition of its importance, reliable methods for protocols for the ethical development and testing of human longevity interventions are still lacking. Progress is hindered by incomplete mechanistic knowledge, high capital and operational barriers, and the absence of deployment models suited to the contexts of greatest need.
philosophy-ethics
north-america
costa-rica
barriers
protocols
ethical
development
testing
human
longevity
interventions
overcoming
despite
climate-environment
methods
systems
society-governance
designs
open
New Zealand, Oceania
Achieving solvent-free recovery of critical minerals from complex e-waste at meaningful scale demands simultaneous progress in fundamental research, engineering integration and socio-technical systems that work for low- and middle-income settings. Existing efforts remain fragmented relative to the magnitude of the challenge.
climate-environment
oceania
new-zealand
solvent-free
recovery
critical
minerals
complex
e-waste
integrated
pathways
achieving
meaningful
economics-resources
systems
society-governance
methods
solutions
open
Chile, South America
Despite recognition of its importance, reliable methods for pathways for achieving high rates of energy efficiency and demand reduction in buildings and industry are still lacking. Progress is hindered by incomplete mechanistic knowledge, high capital and operational barriers, and the absence of deployment models suited to the contexts of greatest need.
climate-environment
south-america
chile
high
pathways
achieving
rates
energy
efficiency
demand
reduction
buildings
industry
systems
methods
society-governance
barriers
designs
open
Paraguay, South America
Achieving protocols for the rapid and equitable deployment of climate adaptation technologies at meaningful scale demands simultaneous progress in fundamental research, engineering integration and socio-technical systems that work for low- and middle-income settings. Existing efforts remain fragmented relative to the magnitude of the challenge.
climate-environment
south-america
paraguay
protocols
rapid
equitable
deployment
climate
adaptation
technologies
overcoming
barriers
achieving
economics-resources
systems
society-governance
methods
technology-computing
Despite recognition of its importance, reliable methods for energy storage and conversion systems optimized for intermittent renewable microgrids are still lacking. Progress is hindered by incomplete mechanistic knowledge, high capital and operational barriers, and the absence of deployment models suited to the contexts of greatest need.
climate-environment
asia
cambodia
energy
storage
conversion
systems
optimized
intermittent
renewable
microgrids
practical
realization
methods
society-governance
designs
barriers
economics-resources
Achieving mechanisms ensuring that AI-driven productivity gains translate into broadly shared prosperity at meaningful scale demands simultaneous progress in fundamental research, engineering integration and socio-technical systems that work for low- and middle-income settings. Existing efforts remain fragmented relative to the magnitude of the challenge.
economics-resources
africa
uganda
mechanisms
ensuring
ai-driven
productivity
gains
translate
broadly
shared
prosperity
practical
systems
climate-environment
society-governance
solutions
methods
open
United States, North America
A persistent gap exists in realizing practical, scalable solutions for biotechnologies for engineering organisms that produce high-value compounds from CO2 and renewable energy. Scientific understanding, engineering readiness and institutional capacity remain insufficient to translate promising concepts into durable impact under real-world constraints of cost, skills and governance.
society-governance
north-america
united-states
renewable-energy
engineering
practical
biotechnologies
organisms
produce
high-value
compounds
co2
renewable
energy
solutions
systems
methods
scalable
A persistent gap exists in realizing practical, scalable solutions for pathways for achieving universal access to clean and reliable electricity by 2030. Scientific understanding, engineering readiness and institutional capacity remain insufficient to translate promising concepts into durable impact under real-world constraints of cost, skills and governance.
society-governance
oceania
samoa
practical
pathways
achieving
universal
access
clean
reliable
electricity
2030
realization
solutions
systems
methods
scalable
governance
Biodiversity hotspots in Nigeria depend on short-term donor grants that rarely cover more than a few years, leaving conservation programs unable to plan or retain trained staff long-term.
climate-environment
africa
nigeria
biodiversity
long-term
hotspots
financing
protection
depend
short-term
donor
grants
term
long
economics-resources
ecosystems
systems
methods
Current approaches to methods for quantifying and reducing the environmental impacts of the digital economy either underperform under variable field conditions or generate externalities that undermine long-term sustainability and equity. Closing the gap requires coordinated advances in science, systems design and enabling institutions.
technology-computing
asia
kazakhstan
systems
methods
quantifying
reducing
environmental
impacts
digital
economy
field-ready
current
society-governance
climate-environment
enabling
solutions
designs
open
New Zealand, Oceania
Despite recognition of its importance, reliable methods for high-humidity passive radiative cooling surfaces and coatings are still lacking. Progress is hindered by incomplete mechanistic knowledge, high capital and operational barriers, and the absence of deployment models suited to the contexts of greatest need.
climate-environment
oceania
new-zealand
high-humidity
passive
radiative
cooling
surfaces
coatings
practical
realization
despite
recognition
methods
systems
barriers
society-governance
designs
Despite recognition of its importance, reliable methods for institutional designs that make scientific research more responsive to societal needs and values are still lacking. Progress is hindered by incomplete mechanistic knowledge, high capital and operational barriers, and the absence of deployment models suited to the contexts of greatest need.
society-governance
asia
malaysia
institutional
designs
make
scientific
research
responsive
societal
needs
values
deployable
climate-environment
systems
methods
barriers
high
The absence of robust, context-adapted solutions for neuromorphic hardware approaching biological energy efficiency creates cascading risks across interconnected human and natural systems. Key missing elements include durable performance, low lifetime cost, and governance arrangements capable of sustaining impact beyond pilot stages.
society-governance
europe
romania
neuromorphic
hardware
approaching
biological
energy
efficiency
development
absence
robust
context-adapted
solutions
systems
climate-environment
methods
enabling
Achieving affordable and scalable solutions for the prevention and management of diabetes and hypertension at meaningful scale demands simultaneous progress in fundamental research, engineering integration and socio-technical systems that work for low- and middle-income settings. Existing efforts remain fragmented relative to the magnitude of the challenge.
economics-resources
africa
ghana
solutions
affordable
scalable
prevention
management
diabetes
hypertension
systemic
addressing
achieving
society-governance
systems
climate-environment
methods
ensuring
open
Colombia, South America
A persistent gap exists in realizing practical, scalable solutions for real-time systems for detecting and responding to the emergence of novel zoonotic diseases. Scientific understanding, engineering readiness and institutional capacity remain insufficient to translate promising concepts into durable impact under real-world constraints of cost, skills and governance.
society-governance
south-america
colombia
real-time
systems
detecting
responding
emergence
novel
zoonotic
diseases
development
persistent
solutions
methods
ensuring
scalable
real
open
Chile, South America
The absence of robust, context-adapted solutions for city-scale anthropogenic versus biogenic CO2 attribution networks creates cascading risks across interconnected human and natural systems. Key missing elements include durable performance, low lifetime cost, and governance arrangements capable of sustaining impact beyond pilot stages.
society-governance
south-america
chile
solutions
city-scale
anthropogenic
versus
biogenic
co2
attribution
networks
scalable
absence
systems
climate-environment
methods
robust
enabling